Prefabricated house



Nov. 28, 1939. J. H. BATES ET AL PREFABRICATEDIHOUSE Filed Sept. 29.19:57

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l im Nov; 28, 1939.

PHEFABRICA'I'ED' HOUSE Filed Sept. 29, 1937 J. H. BATES El- AIL 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES rnnmnmcsmn nous]:

Jesse B. Bates and Thai- H. Hansen, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignors toHarnischieger Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinApplication September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,259

8 Claims. (Cl. 189-44) This. invention relates in general to buildingstructures and more particularly to prefabricated houses or dwellings.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a building structureof this character which is made up for the most part of units orsections fabricated at the factory and susceptible of convenienterectionor assembly at the point where the house is built. The units are suchthat they may be readily handled during transportation and easily andquickly assembled at the place :of erection.

One of the outstanding features of the invention is that the units whichgo to make up the major elements of the house namely, the walls, floors,ceilings, and roof, are framed in -steel at the factory and equipped anddesigned to be interlocked in a. permanent and secure fashion at theplace where the house is built.

Along with these advantages the house is so constructed and organized asto be susceptible of being built and maintained at a low cost, providefor the maximum use of space, be resistant to fire, wind, earthquake andweather, well insulated, lightning safe and vermin proof.

Furthermore, the construction is such as to be adaptable to a variety offloor plans and architectural styles. 7

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing prin- .cipally the framing of ahouse constructed and.

erected in-accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the floor panels or standardfloor units employed in the construction of the house, a portion of thesubflooring being broken away for the sake of illustration;

Figure 3 is afragmentary view in section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2but showing the subfiooring also in cross section;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in transverse vertical cross sectionthroughone of the walls of the house, the group floor, ceiling, andattic;

and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the constructionemployed where the attic.

takes no load.

may be compactly packaged for shipment and f welded to the sidechannels.

structural units are stamped from sheet steel.

Referring to the drawings it will' be seen that the present inventionproposes to constitute the framing of the walls, floors, ceilings,caves, and roof of prefabricated steel panels.

The framing panels, while differing in some 5 respects to adapt them to.serve their individual purposes have certain structural features incommon in that they comprise generally side channels and end channelsextending between and The panels are assembled with their adjacent sidechannels abutting in face to face relation and are securely fastenedtogether when so erected.

The floor panels designated generally at F are all of similarconstruction and,-as shown to advantage in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive,each includes; side channels I and end channels 2 extending between andwelded to the side channels. All of the channels incorporated in thevarious At regular intervals along each floor panel cross channels 3 areprovided, the cross. channels 3 paralleling the end channels and beingdisposed at right angles to the side channels. The ends of the crosschannels are welded to. the side channels. The cross channels open orface upwardly and receive wooden furring strips 4.

Portions of the side flanges of each cross channel Y 3 are displaced orupset inwardly as indicated at 5 in Figures 3 and 4 to secure thefurring strips in place. The furring strips project upwardly beyond theedges of the side flangesof their cross channels and their top surfacesare co-planar with the top surfaces of the upper side flanges of theside and end channels. Subflooring designated at 6 issecured by nails 1to the furring strips 4. The body portions of the cross channels 3 aredepressed or convexed downwardly as at- 8 to strengthen thesecross'channels and to accommodate the ends of the nails 1 whichpenetrate the furring strips and project downwardly therebeyond.

The floor panels F are completed in the man-. ner just described at thefactory and obviously they may be stacked and compactly crated.

At the place where the house is erected the floor panels are laid on asuitable foundation, for example on a concrete foundation, a-portion' ofwhich is designated at 9 in Figure 5, and on suitable beams, a fragmentof one of which is shown'at II) in Figure 5. Bolts II are embedded inthe foundation 9 and project upwardly therefrom. Nuts I 2 threaded onthe bolts H and engaging tie plates l3 serve to secure the floor panelsin place. ,The tie plates overlap the lower flanges of the floor panelsat the corners thereof as shown. Bolts and nuts It may be employed todirectly secure the lower side flanges of the channels of the panels tothe beam l0.

Bolts and nuts |4' or other suitable fastening devices are employed topermanently fasten together the abutting surfaces of the side walls ofthe floor panels and in instances where the end channels of floorpanelsabut they are similarly secured together.

The framing for the walls of the house is'also made up of sheet metalframing panels designated generally'at W. As shown in Figure 1 the wallpanels W are all of similar construction in that each includes sidechannels l5 and end channels l6 extending between and welded to the sidechannels. Except where provision is made for a door or window each ofthe wall panels has a plurality of intermediate longitudinally extendingchannels I! paralleling the side channels and having their ends weldedto the end channels l6. Where a window is to :be provided, appropriatelyspaced cross channels [8 are incorporated in the structure of the paneland extend between and are welded to the side channels l5, and arebraced and strengthened by longitudinally extending channels I9 ofappropriate length, the channels l9 extending between and-being weldedto the cross channels l8 and end channels It as shown in the drawings.

The eaves framing panels designated generally at E, roofing framingpanels R, and gable framing panels G are similarly constituted althoughdifierently dimensioned to adapt them to fulfill their respectivepurposes. One of the roof framing panels is provided with a trap dooropening .T and certain of the roof framing panels are formed withprojections P to provide the framing for the porch roof. All of theframing panels however are constituted of the side and end channelswelded together and where desirable equipped with suitable crosschannels.

When the house is erected the wall panels, roofing panels, eaves panels,and gable framing panels are assembled with their adjacent side flangesabutting in face to face relation and they are appropriately weldedtogether or interlocked. The abutting faces of the channels of eachpanel are provided with slots which register .in the assembly. Anchoringlugs 21 are provided and extend through these registering slots, thelugs having feet 28 abutting one of the channels and having an aperture29 in the portion thereof which projects beyond the other. A tapered key30 is driven into the aperture 29 and frictionally and tightly engagesor wedges itself in the aperture 29 and against the adjacent channel tosecure or interlock the panels together in a permanent fashion.Ifdesired, the anchoring lugs may be spot welded at as 21' to one of.the panels.

The exterior of the metal panels W making up the walls are sheathed orcovered with two layers of moisture proof structural or. building boarddesignated at 22 and 22'] In instances where the floor panels. are usedon an upper floor they are adapted to serve as a support for the ceilingof the next lower floor and this is accomplished by providing the fioorpanels of the character previously described with downwardly facing oropening cross channels 3' (see the upper portion of Figure 5), similarin all respects to the channels 3 except that they are disposed adjacentthe bottom of the floor panel and face downwardly. Furring strips 4' arecombined with the cross channels 3 in the same way that the furringstrips 4 are combined with cross channels 3. The ceiling is preferablyconstituted of sheets of heavy gypsum board designated at 35 and securedby nails 1' to the inning strips 4'.

If desirable, the joints covered by the batten strips 65 at the cornersand also between the wall panels may be sealed with mastic.

It is to be understood that the gypsum board 'It is proposed to finishthis trim with baked enamel at the factory so that no painting will berequired on the job. In Figure 5 the base board trim is designated at I5and has hook formations I6 and 11 along its upper and lower edgesdesigned to interlock with clips 18 secured by screws 19 to the metalframing panels.

The subflooring with which the floor panels are equipped at the factoryis at the time of the erection of the house covered with a layer ofheavy felt and, in the living room, dining room,

bedrooms and hallways, finished with suitable hard wood flooring. Thekitchen and bathrooms may be covered with linoleum or rubber tile.

It is to be understood that the particular house i plan shown in Figure1 is only one of many that may be resorted to in carrying out thepresent in- ;vention. As previously indicated, the structure lendsitself to a great variety of floor plans andarchitectural styles.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the inventionmay be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that theconstruction shown has been selected merely forthe purpose ofillustration or example and that various changes in the size, shape andarrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A prefabricated house of the character described having a floor madeup of prefabricated metal framing panels, each comprisingside channelsand end channels welded together, upwardly opening cross channels havingtheir ends welded to the side channels, furring strips secured in saidcross channels, and sub-flooring nailed to said fur-ring strips.

'2. A. prefabricated house of the character described having a floormade up of prefabricated metal framing panels, each comprising sidechannels and end channels welded together, upwardly opening crosschannels having their ends welded to the side channels, furring stripssecured to said cross channels, said cross channels having portions oftheir side flanges upset into interlocking engagement with the furringstrips, and subflooring nailed to the furring strips.

3. A prefabricated house of the character described having a floormade'up of prefabricated metal framing panels, each -comprising sidechannels and end channels welded together, upwardly opening crosschannels having their ends welded to the side channels, furring stripssecured in said cross channels, and sub-flooring nailed to said furringstrips, said cross channels having their body portions downwardlyconvexed to 4. A prefabricated house of the character described vhavinga floor panel made up ofside channels and end channels welded together,up

channels and end channels rigidly interconnected with the side channels,outwardly opening cross channels secured to said metal frame, furringstrips carried by said cross channels, and surfacing material secured tosaid furring strips.

-6. A floor panel of the character described-comprising a metal framemade up of rigidly interconnected side and end channels, outwardlyopening channels secured to said metal frame at spaced intervals, andmeans carried by said outwardly opening channels and to which asurfacing may be secured.

7. A panel of the character described comprising a metal frame made upof side channels and end channels rigidly interconnected with eachother, outwardly facing cross channels extending between the sidechannels and having their ends 4 secured thereto, furring stripspositioned in said outwardly opening channels, portions of the outwardlyopening channels being disposed into interlocking engagement with thefurring strips, and a surfacing secured to the furring strips.

8. A panel of the character described comprising a metal frame made upof side channels and end channels rigidly interconnected together,outwardly facing cross channels at the top and bottom of the frame andrigidly interconnected therewith, and furring strips positioned and se-29 cured in said outwardly opening channels.

JESSE H. BATES. THOR H. HANSEN.

